Semiconductor memories, such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM), are used in a multitude of electronics systems (e.g., portable computers, desktop computers, server systems, mobile devices, etc.) and have gone through several advancements over the years. For example, memories have become smaller, have higher memory density, have faster access speeds, and use less power than previous memories.
However, further advancement in memory design may require additional improvements. For example, to further reduce power consumption by memories, improvements may include reducing leakage currents. Gate-induced drain leakage (GIDL) currents may occur in certain semiconductor devices, such as field-effect transistors, which are components of semiconductor memories. GIDL currents occur when a voltage of a certain magnitude is present on the gate of the transistor that causes current to leak from the drain of the transistor through the substrate. Reducing GIDL currents may reduce power consumption by memories.